Transparency for the Supply Chain

Kent Stainless Ltd, Ireland’s largest fabricator of stainless steel drainage, has chosen SAP partner IIS to provide the company with its SAP Business One solution. Having assessed various business management software options and suppliers, Alan Rossiter at Kent Stainless Ltd explains why IIS ticked all of the boxes and how SAP Business One is already improving productivity.

SAP.info: How did Kent Stainless Ltd first hear about SAP Business One and IIS?

Alan Rossiter: We realised that we needed an ERP system that encompassed our complete supply chain and we didn’t have that. We spoke to some consultants who suggested IIS as a partner.

SAP Business One accelerates monthly reporting

What problems did Kent Stainless Ltd encounter before considering SAP Business One?

Rossiter: Our departments within the company were fragmented when it came to our supply chain. Each element of our company had different tools with data being transferred via programs such as Access or Excel. We had no accurate value of our off-cut materials and we had little confidence in our stock control. Our monthly reports took almost a month to compile and this was completed with the use of 38 interlinking reports. We also didn’t have more than an educated guess on how well, or otherwise, our bespoke orders were progressing through the factory and frequently this information was derived long after the job was complete.

What selection process did the company go through before deciding on SAP Business One?

Rossiter: Firstly, we set about assessing what best suited our needs. One of the main criteria when selecting a solution was the ability to manage our off-cut materials. Stainless steel is a commodity which changes in value but some of our larger plates can run at several thousand euros each… We need to know the value of what’s left and manage that accordingly. It was also imperative that all aspects of the business could talk from the same hymn sheet from one source and that reports could be instantly derived. We needed to avoid exporting data into Excel and needed live information!

Why did the company decide to partner with IIS?

Rossiter: With SAP Business One and IIS we were pleasantly surprised by the presented ability and flexibility of the solution. We loaded question after question in the nature of “can it do this?”, “can it do that?” and the answer was always “yes.” The team that visited were professional and competent and gave us an air of confidence.

IIS goes beyond the job description

How would you describe the customer service provided by IIS?

Rossiter: The customer service provided by IIS has been helpful. Requests for assistance are always met and there are various contacts within IIS that I have met who are all more than willing to provide assistance and advice, which is a comforting factor. A stiffness and rigid conformity to job description is something that is thankfully not existent within IIS. Help is always available through contacts.

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